[Jeffhs]

My Insignia 19"-class (18.5-inch diagonal) flat panel was bought new last August. Still works like new today, almost six months later. I read here in this forum that when these sets do go bad, it is usually just due to bad capacitors -- like my Memorex DVD player. The latter has a capacitor in it that usually swells and splits open about nine months after the original purchase date. My player is at least two years old and still works quite well. I have every reason to believe my flat TV will work just as well; in fact, I'm counting on it, since I do not want to go back to my RCA CRT set, as well as it has worked over the last dozen years before being replaced by the then-new FP. The FP set has a two-year warranty, so I'm not concerned (about 18 months left). I bought the set online from Best Buy, and should have purchased the four-year Black Tie (R) extended warranty, but I didn't; however, when I purchased my HP flat-screen computer monitor earlier this year, I did get the extended warranty, so it will be covered at least until 2015 or '16. I guess the saying that hindsight is almost always 20/20 is true.

BTW, I wonder if there will ever be a flat-screen TV that will last longer than two or three years. It's ridiculous to have to buy a new TV just three years after purchasing the last one, but I guess the way these sets are built nowadays that's the way of it, like it or not. I am hoping mine lasts somewhat longer than that because I live on a fixed income, and cannot afford to purchase a new TV every couple of years. As it stands now, if my FP goes bad, I will have to drag out my RCA 19" CRT set, and I don't want to do that unless absolutely necessary. Even though I am not watching HDTV on my flat panel at this time (don't want a cable box, which is what Time Warner Cable tells me I'll need before I can watch anything in high definition), I still like the razor-sharp picture my FP gives me, even in standard definition. Much better than the 525-line analog reception I grew up with and tolerated until last year.